University's Expansion Plans

Cnu Grows And Grows

NEWPORT NEWS — University President Paul Trible says he plans to add a building a year to the Newport News school for 10 years.

For those who thought the flurry of construction at Christopher Newport University was coming to a close, think again.

President Paul Trible's vision for creating a top liberal arts university continues to expand, with plans to add a building a year to the campus over the next decade.

"An institution which aspires to be one of America's pre-eminent liberal arts and science universities cannot have its departments housed in a disconnected diaspora of motels, business offices and 40-year-old classroom buildings, which appear to have been built for a 30-year life span," Trible told students this week during a State of the University address.

He said state and private funding will cover most of the building projects. The exception is the residence hall, which will use student fees to pay down debt borrowed by the university. Current students will pay for some, but not most of it.

By January 2008, CNU hopes to begin construction on a $25 million residence hall funded with state money that will add more than 300 beds to campus by fall 2009. Trible said officials are choosing an architectural firm for the dormitory.

The university requires all freshmen and sophomores to live on campus and makes remaining space available to juniors and seniors. A growing demand for campus housing has shut hundreds of upperclassmen out of dorms and apartments the past two spring semesters.

In fall 2005, the university opened the 400-bed CNU Village at a cost of about $25 million. Located on Warwick Boulevard, the apartments for upperclassmen sit atop retail spaces.

Future plans would provide on-campus housing for up to 4,000 of the school's total enrollment of 5,000 students over the next 10 years, Trible said.

This fall, a $36 million student center opened near the center of campus. By the summer of 2007, officials expect to finish a library renovation, which will double the building's size. As of July, the library improvement project cost about $24 million.

The General Assembly has also given CNU the green light to expand the Freeman Center, which hosts basketball, track and volleyball games and features a fitness center. Officials have not put a price tag on the addition, which will enlarge the fitness center and add an auxiliary gym, but Trible noted it should be completed by fall 2009.

Plans call for demolishing the old student center next year and in its place building a $30 million academic building for liberal arts departments, such as English, communication studies and government.

Officials also will seek state funds for a second academic building to house the math, biology, chemistry and environmental science departments.

Officials don't know when the academic buildings will open. The new science building would connect to the old one, Trible said.

"Our objective is to have all the academic departments located in the heart of our campus," he said.

Some students wanted to know how the campus construction would affect them. Tuition would not rise to pay for building projects, Trible said.

"The students are getting affected a lot by the things he's (Trible) been doing," said Tricia Downey, a senior from Fairfax, citing complaints she's heard about a lack of study places.

Because of ongoing library renovations, students are studying in the old student union.

Sophomore Carlus Neeley, a sophomore from Woodbridge, said all the construction work makes it harder to navigate the campus. Yet both Downey and Neeley said they appreciate the new buildings and upgrades.

Trible would like to further tweak the campus layout by bringing the Luter School of Business inside the main campus and finding new space for other departments.

Before the mid-1990s, CNU was primarily a commuter campus. But with about 60 percent of the university's students now residential, new buildings are a must, Trible said. *

CNU BUILDING OPENINGS

1964 -- McMurran Hall, the first one at the Shoe Lane location

1968 -- Captain John Smith Library and Administration Building

1969 -- Ratcliffe Gym -- Student Center and Auditorium

1979 -- Captain John Smith Library expansion

1992 -- Santoro Residence Hall, the first dorm.

2000 -- Freeman Center and James River Residence Hall, CNU's second dorm.